


On WildeHopps and why It Just Makes Sense

by zootopepo (pepoluan)



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Embedded Images, Essay Collection, Essays, F/M, WildeHopps Federation, tumblr exodus, tumblr migration, tumblr refugee, wildehopps
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-16
Updated: 2019-01-25
Packaged: 2019-10-11 02:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17438555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pepoluan/pseuds/zootopepo
Summary: Some essays / discussion threads thatreallycement the relationship of Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde in the minds of the WildeHopps shippers.These actually are posts I "salvaged" frommy Tumblr blogs. They likely was started by someone else rather than me. I'll try hard to credit the actual posters if their posts still exist.May contain partial duplicates due to the possibility of diverging threads. I'll try to "merge" the diverging threads, but sometimes that's just not possible and I'll post the threads in separate "chapters".





	1. Make-up Scene, Essay 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From [this post of mine on Tumblr](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149233335930/meimeithewhiterabbit-poedameronftw-oh-you#post-notes), merged with [this one, also mine](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149296268350/meimeithewhiterabbit-poedameronftw-oh-you). Gifset by [@poedameronftw on Tumblr](http://poedameronftw.tumblr.com/post/145407510731/oh-you-bunnies-youre-so-emotional). Essay by [@meimeithewhiterabbit on Tumblr](https://meimeithewhiterabbit.tumblr.com/post/149217515972/poedameronftw-oh-you-bunnies-youre-so).

[@poedameronftw](http://poedameronftw.tumblr.com/post/145407510731/oh-you-bunnies-youre-so-emotional):

> “Oh you bunnies, you’re so emotional”

[@meimeithewhiterabbit](https://meimeithewhiterabbit.tumblr.com/post/149217515972/poedameronftw-oh-you-bunnies-youre-so):

> One of my favorite things about this particular scene, apart from fact that it hammered the final nail into me finally and wholeheartedly shipping these two, is the fact that we know that **there was a deleted scene where Judy had picked up the crumpled police sticker that Nick had thrown on the floor after their fight and brought it home, where she put it on one of her stuffed animals, clutching it to her chest when she went to bed**.
> 
> We never really saw them that close to each other before their fight, apart from on the sky tram, where she touched his arm. The deleted scene, which pretty much showed how much she longed not only to be his friend again, but to be physically close to him, is mirrored so well right here.
> 
> She missed him so much, and in this scene, we can basically see how she’s just relishing in actually feeling him this close to her, and that’s it’s real, not just some bedtime fantasy.
> 
> She’s laughing in a way that shows how relieved she is that he forgave her, that he’s really there. She’s happy to hear his voice, his stupid jokes and knowing that she’s forgiven. It’s one thing to feel relief when a friend forgives you, which can make you feel almost delirious with happiness and make you laugh for no reason other than being with your friend again, but Judy just closes her eyes and leans against him, because she has no words to describe how happy she is. It’s so subtle.
> 
> She even plays along with his little joke in a way to further gain his acceptance, even if she can barely muster up the energy to do so, because she’s too busy enjoying the feeling of just leaning against him.
> 
> If this isn’t love, I don’t know what is. Maybe I’m reading too much into this, but I don’t think I am.

_Boldface & parabreaks added by me._

[@pepoluan / @zootopepo](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149233335930/meimeithewhiterabbit-poedameronftw-oh-you#post-notes):

_In relation to the boldfaced part above:_

> _A later addition from me:_

> This and the scene just before this one…
> 
> Judy did not break down … until she said that she would be ‘okay’ if Nick still hated her after they “fix the situation”.
> 
> She practically spat her words, not out of anger with Nick, but out of supreme sadness of resigning herself with the possibility that she will lost him forever.
> 
> It’s the single most emotional moment for Judy throughout the movie. The only moment where she totally let her guard down. In front of A FOX, for crying out loud.

* * *


	2. You Know You Love Me 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Facial analysis of Nick during the famous "You know you love me" scene

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is _my original post_ , from [my Tumblr blog](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149234183285/its-interesting-watching-nicks-expression-in).

It’s interesting watching Nick’s expression in this scene.

He was certain that Judy loved him.

But Judy’s answer… suddenly made him pause.

Maybe he was wondering if he had been reading the bunny wrong.

Maybe the love was just a one way street.

Maybe… maybe… maybe… maybe he shouldn’t have asked the question.

Judy answering her own question, that makes him really glad. His smile returned. He had not been reading the bunny wrong, after all.

He loves her, and now he knows for sure she loves him, as well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have to always emphasize that since Zootopia is fully Computer Generated (CG), Nick's expression will not be "accidental". Rather, the animators must _fully meant that_ to happen. It's not "a slip of the pen" or "artifact of inbetweening"; it's a _conscious effort_ to make Nick turn out exactly like that.


	3. Make Up Scene 1: He Almost Cried

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From [this post of mine on Tumblr](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149339101250/ihavewaytoomanyproblems-pepoluan-headcanon) also [this one](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149362162910/meimeithewhiterabbit-pepoluan-headcanon).

Nick didn’t turn around immediately. Not because he was fumbling with the carrot pen.

But because he heard Judy sobbing.

No matter how much she had hurt him,

He never wanted her to cry.

**He was trying to control his own tears.**

His glance was so telling.

 

He, for a moment, forgot to don his conman face:

 

He nearly lost it again here:

@ihavewaytoomanyproblems wrote:

> Looks his eyes are like glass. THEY ARE WATERY GOD DAMN IT!

@pepoluan wrote:

> I also thought so. Glad I’m not the only one.

@meimeithewhiterabbit added:

> All aboard the ship of Wildehopps headcanons! Do not all rush on board at once.
> 
> Ok, first of all: hell yes, headcanon accepted.
> 
> Second: This was precisely what I though when I watched the movie for the first time as well. What’s even better is that the directors (bless Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush and all of their decendants) chose -not- to show us Nick’s face in this scene. His actual reaction to Judy’s words are completely left open for the audience’s own interpretation, which was a stroke of genius if you ask me.
> 
> We was introduced to Nick as a charming, yet quite untrustworthy and street smart cynic, who seemed to always hide his true emotions behind a half-lidded sneer. But there’s no lie behind the smile on his face as he turns around to face Judy. This may very well be the first time, ever, that someone has actually spoken to him in this way. The first time he has heard how much someone cares for him, let alone someone he cares so much for himself.
> 
> We already knew from the sky tram scene that he’s not one to share emotions easily, or at least not his reaction to how other people actually listen to them. So it’s no wonder that he didn’t turn around to face Judy when she poured her heart out with that gut wrenching apology. But when he did turn around, there was nothing but love in his eyes. Nothing but utter acceptance that this bunny may very well be the very best thing that has ever happened to him. And as a sign of comfort, he says exactly what she needed to hear. Forgiveness, cleverly wrapped up in a joke that shows Judy that he’s not going anywhere.
> 
> Honestly, this ship sails itself.

_A/N: I added some parabreaks above._

* * *


	4. Make Up Scene 2: You can HATE me...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> From [this thread on Tumblr](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149326260055/meimeithewhiterabbit-pepoluan-and-and).

@pepoluan (my) caption:

> “… and … and that would be f-fine …”
> 
> “… and you … and you can w-walk away …”
> 
> Judy’s breakdown moment always gets to me 😭  
> 

   
@meimeithewhiterabbit's response (formatted with parabreaks):

> It’s flipping heart-breaking is what it is!
> 
> The second she sees him she exclaims “Oh, Nick!” in a way that tells us that she’s partly happy to see him again, and partly very nervous. She’s on a roller coaster of emotion here, because not only did she find the missing piece of the case, she’s terrified that she may have truly lost her friend, and you can tell that so much hangs on the conversation before her.
> 
> But in her tone of voice, there’s something else.
> 
> She knows she messed up, it’s on her to fix it, but her being nervous stems just as much from her actually having realized how much Nick means to her as it does her knowing she can solve the case. This case was personal enough to Judy, but Nick is a whole other story. She starts off by excitedly talking about the case, hoping that it may break the ice, but when Nick doesn’t respond to that (because let’s face it, it was never the case he was interested in, it was the feeling of inclusion, of being a part of something bigger than him, feeling like he mattered, and most of all, having found someone he truly cares for), Judy falters and that’s when the walls come down.
> 
> Her apology is one of the most heart-wrenching things ever put on film and I was bawling my eyes out throughout the whole thing. Especially her saying that it would be “fine” if he decided to walk away. She loves him so much, and she’s letting him know. To bare oneself to this extent is terrifying but she does, simply because she needs him to know how she feels before he leaves.
> 
> God, this movie I’m telling you. I could watch it a million times and not get bored of it!


	5. Make Up Scene 3: Nick's Tail

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is a merging of some of my posts on Tumblr. [This one](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149353836660/theres-something-bugging-me), and [this one](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149358217015/theres-something-bugging-me).

There’s something “bugging” me…

We know this frame:

So, Judy accidentally stepped on Nick’s tail.

So?

BUT LOOK WHERE HIS TAIL WAS JUST A FEW SECONDS PRIOR:

THERE IS **_NO WAY_** FOR JUDY TO STEP ON HIS TAIL.

Unless

_THE TAIL MOVED._

Now the topmost frame without subtitles:

Watch Judy’s eyes.

BETWEEN THE TIME JUDY LEANED AGAINST NICK’S CHEST AND THE ABOVE FRAME, NICK HAVE MOVED HIS BUSHY TAIL,  
PROBABLY _WRAPPING THE TAIL AROUND JUDY’s LEGS._

BECAUSE HE COULD SEE THAT SHE SO NEEDED TO BE COMFORTED, THAT SHE NEEDED A FIRM CONFIRMATION THAT NICK FORGAVE HER.

And JUST LOOK AT HOW HAPPY, HOW GLAD, HOW RELIEVED, HOW JOYFUL, HOW **COMFORTED** SHE WAS:

SHE CAN FEEL **NICK EMBRACING HER WHOLLY** … His left paw gently rubbing her head, his right paw pulling her shoulder so she can really lean against his chest… **AND HIS TAIL WRAPPING AROUND HER LEGS**.

Then she playfully half-heartedly go along with Nick’s “play-accusation” that she was trying to steal the pen back…

And she did a half-hop, or a step slightly closer:

And accidentally stepped on Nick’s tail which was _still_ “hugging” her legs.

And she immediately **looked downwards to her legs** , or to be precise, **to the fox’s tail that a couple of seconds ago was wrapped around her legs but now under her foot**. Or feet.

She quickly **stepped back** , a full-step back, putting some distance between her and the fox ('s tail):

Which, again, is _unnecessary_ had Nick’s tail stayed in its original position:

@tibe13 commented:

> Or, he was getting to emotional and that freak him out because he never felt this way in a long time so he faked that Judy step in his tail in a matter of protect himself from expressing his emotions

@pepoluan responded:

> Considering that Judy actually looked downward first, _then_ she looked surprised, took a step back, and apologized, I’d say Nick did not fake the “stepping on tail” thing.
> 
> He _did_ though tried to hide his emotions by “play-accusing” Judy of trying to steal the pen back. But his tail _already embraced_ Judy’s legs.

@fandomgod2244 added:

> Foxes wrap their tails around things they care about like this example of a fox mother wrapping on of her kits with her tail which is being attacked but still concludes my point can’t find anything better so that’s what I got but yea I ship these two

@pepoluan responded:

> That is so sweet…
> 
> So, it is practically canon that, at this point, Nick already cared so much about Judy, he probably instinctively wrapped his tail around her when she cried on his chest…..
> 
> Excuse me, I’m welling up with emotions 😳

* * *


	6. Copying

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When one likes someone, one starts to copy that someone's gestures and expressions...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally from [this Tumblr post of mine](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149645640370/meimeithewhiterabbit-pepoluan).

  


@pepoluan (me) asked:

> OMG THEY TRULY ARE COPYING ONE ANOTHER  
>  @helthehatter @meimeithewhiterabbit  
>  have you seen this?

 

@meimeithewhiterabbit responded:

> Have I seen it? If I had a dollar for every time…
> 
> But seriously. The collaboration between the producers, directors and animators for this movie worked like a golden triangle of brilliance. The level of detail is mind blowing. This particular scene is just one example, but there are a lot of more or less prominent examples of how the actions of the characters and general settings are so realistic, that it makes me wonder if they didn’t actually hire a psychologist to collaborate on the film.
> 
> Usually, when people like each other, they start to adapt to the other person’s way of speaking and their mannerisms. It’s pretty much a way to subconsciously gain acceptance. With happy couples, it’s especially easy to see, as they spend all of their time together. They share a very similar, almost identical speaking pattern, which makes their conversations sound almost musical, they use the same expressions, they even copy each others movements.
> 
> In this scene, Nick and Judy are standing close together, holding on to each other, as though they are not only comfortable, but perfectly happy to be in each others’ space. And the cherry on top is the fact that they have the exact same expression of their faces.
> 
> With Judy’s little eyebrow wiggle it’s as though she’s saying “you are so busted, this is my fox, he would never hurt me and you’d better believe I’m sticking with him”, and Nick’s eyeing her with those half-lidded eyes and his own eyebrow wiggle basically said “that’s right, she’s my badass bunny and you’re a sucker for underestimating her, can’t you see how good we are together?”.
> 
> They’ve made it perfectly clear to the world and the universe that they are a team, they have each others backs and they trust each other. The fact that Nick refused to leave Judy’s side instead of saving himself, and the fact that Judy not only trusted Nick to clamp his jaws around her neck, but also upped her sass level by about 5000% as soon as she got on her feet/paws pretty much shows that they both not only like and trust each other, they are a team in every sense of the word and I feel sorry for any potential love interest who would try to break them apart.
> 
> What they have is unshakable.

_A/N: I added some parabreaks_


	7. You'll Make a Good Cop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From this [Tumblr post of mine](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149646321875/meimeithewhiterabbit-pepoluan).

  
  
  


@meimeithewhiterabbit originally captioned:

> Flirting 101. Honestly, you’d have to be living under a rock not to notice the sparks flying in this scene.
> 
> **_~This~_** is how you flirt.
> 
> Glancing at the other person’s mouth, a subtle yet cheeky compliment and the “how dare you” is on par with “make me” or “prove it” in terms of creating sexual tension. Nick just stares at her with those half-lidded eyes, crooked grin on his face and Judy just soaks it up.
> 
> I will give Jason Bateman a lot of credit for this though, because, intentional or not, his voice is insanely sexy, which certainly made that particular line all the more loaded. I’m trying to ignore the fact that the words are being spoken by a fox here, but let’s face it; this is Tumblr so as far as being shipper trash is concerned, I think I’m in the right place :)

 

@pepoluan (me) responded:

> I swear both of their voices sound… more breathy as the scene progressed.
> 
> You know what I mean :-)

 

@meimeithewhiterabbit replied:

> You bet I do. Those two, alone in a small dark room, huddled together in front of a small screen, high on adrenaline from being hot on the trail of a big lead, basically sitting so close they’re sharing the same breath…
> 
> Ain’t nothing platonic about the way they’re looking at eachother here. And their voices are a dead giveaway. The sexual tension here is electric.

 

@pepoluan (me) took an opportunity:

> **HEADCANON TIME**
> 
> As they turned around to leave for Cliffside Asylum, their noses nearly collided if not for their reflexes.
> 
> Afterwards, both of them felt a bit hot and bothered and had to leave Bellwether’s room immediately for some fresh air to clear their minds.

* * *


	8. The (almost) Icing of Duke

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> From [this Tumblr post of mine](https://pepoluan.tumblr.com/post/149766957515/meimeithewhiterabbit-pepoluan-ryutolbx).

   
   


   
   


   
   


* * *

@pepoluan (me) wrote (in 2 posts):

> **Mirrored Eyebrows**
> 
> NOt just eyebrows, actually, but also the eyelids.
> 
> Psst @helthehatter @meimeithewhiterabbit @ktrk5

 

@meimeithewhiterabbit responded:

> This deserves a rant of its own, because damn these pictures, and these scenes, are just so telling. Not just about what’s going on inside their heads and what’s going on between them, but what the future of them as partners holds in store.
> 
> In the beginning of the movie, Judy look at the world with eyes full of wonder and determination. She used her knowledge of the rules and her training to get her way and to show that she was a force to be reckoned with. It didn’t always get her the results she wanted (”yeah, you’re a real hero, lady!”), but she didn’t lose hope. Instead, shortly both before, during and even after her adventure with Nick, she realized that in some cases, a sense of righteousness and extensive knowledge of the rules might only get you tangled up in the web of bureaucracy and politics. It toughened her up. If you’re gonna make it as a cop in Zootopia, you also have to have street smarts. Something Nick has in bucket loads.
> 
> In this scene, they have made up. They have brought out the best of one another, and have also unraveled a whole new spectrum of the other’s personality, sides that mirror their own, that not only make them like themselves more, but it makes their relationship and actions seem completely harmonized. They are once again a Team, good friends (very good, close friends, so close they might not even dare to think, let alone speak, about exactly how close they are at this moment when so much is at stake) and they are Not To Be Messed With. 
> 
> The one detail I really like in those pictures above is the fact that despite the fact that their eyes and even eyebrows are exactly the same, Nick is still smiling. Judy has that done-with-your-crap kind of look on her face, as though she’s driven by more than just determination, but such a raw sense of justice that she doesn’t even mind using some unorthodox methods to get to the truth. But Nick is smiling. 
> 
> Nick has charm. A lot of it. So does Judy, but it’s a different kind of charm. Her charm partly lies in her being very clever and that she has extensive knowledge of every rule and legislation. It’s almost sweet how full of willingness she is to make the world a better place. But since she met Nick, she’s also been able to learn when not to use her knowledge of the Rule Book, because sometimes, it’s not actually necessary to throw paragraphs around to get your way. At Manchas’ doorstep, they were able to get valuable information and were about to be let inside, just by using clever word tactics and keeping a curious yet kind demeanor. In that scene, Judy learned from Nick that he’s a clever fox indeed and that she could actually learn a thing or two from him. 
> 
> So why am I pointing out that Nick is smiling? Nick has a whole other set of skills. He has learned that in order to make people give you what you want, they have to like you. So he smiles. He looks pleasant. Nice even, despite having that disdainful, slanting look in his eyes. Judy just looks unimpressed. Which is why I think that at the end of the film, when Judy and Nick truly are partners, and if they ended up having to interrogate someone, Judy would be the Bad Cop. Nick would be the Good Cop, the one who smiles and who makes the suspect feel at ease. Judy, on the other hand, who at first glance looks about as harmful as a flower, but knows the legal system like the back of her own paw, would be the one to not suffer fools lightly. Her being a bunny and Nick being a fox would throw people off, because they have essentially adapted to each other to the point where they would be masters of manipulation, especially when it would come to them getting to the truth. They can be as pleasant and kind as one can be, but at the same time so ruthless that I’m sure that the upstanding citizens of Zootopia are very thankful that Nick and Judy are on their side.
> 
> The better part is that the suspects will be trow off, because they'll think Judy will play the good cop and Nick the bad cop, not viceversa!
> 
> They’re just such a good match. It makes my head spin.

@MattoMatteo added in the comments to this chapter:

> The better part is that the suspects will be trow off, because they'll think Judy will play the good cop and Nick the bad cop, not vice versa!

* * *


End file.
